Todd continues quest for spot on tour

Mike Todd continued his quest in qualifying for the World Championship Tour by turning in a solid performance in Japan last weekend.

The Laguna Beach resident finished in 25th place at the six-star Tahara Pro, a World Qualifying Series event which began Aug. 1 and concluded Sunday at Akabane Beach.

Armando Daltro won the event in an all-Brazilian, four-man final.

“It’s a good result but it falls just short of the 1,200 points that I am trying to average,” Todd said of his placement, and his effort to rack up points in qualifying for the WCT.

Todd, 25, has had a strong year competing so far. It began with fifth- and ninth-place finishes at a pair of WQS events held in Brazil in February.

Last month, he surfed his way into the Round of 48 in the men’s division of the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach to rack up valuable points.

After finishing the six-star contest in Huntington, he left immediately for the six-star event in Japan.

Todd, who is ranked 24th, said that he has recorded point scores of 1,250, 1,250, 900 and 900, in four WQS event.

The breakthrough year Todd appears to be having, he said, has to do with a level of comfort he feels.

“Nothing has really changed about my surfing,” he said. “I am getting really good boards from my shaper, Steve Boysen, and that allows me to focus on my surfing and the events, instead of worrying about my equipment.

“Also, I just feel like I belong. I felt like a small fish in a big pond and now, I feel like I know my way around and I feel comfortable with the whole thing.”